Players face harsher punishments for bad behaviour

Arsenal players surround a referee during a game last season

Players and managers have been warned they face tougher punishments for poor behaviour at games.

Managers and coaches will also have to adhere to new rules covering the technical area.

The new measures state players "must not confront, invade the personal space of, or make physical contact with the match officials".

They add that "two or more players surrounding a match official in a confrontational manner will result in a yellow card and be reported to the Football Association".

The new 'participant charter' has been launched by the Football Association, Premier League, English Football League, Women's Super League, Women's Championship, National League System (Steps 1-4) and referees' governing body PGMOL.

It was also developed in partnership with the League Managers Association and Professional Footballers' Association.

The new measures also address the issue of fan behaviour and, in particular, tragedy chanting, which involves singing about tragic events involving the opposition.

"Our collective approach is to reset this behaviour on the pitch and from the sidelines, whilst giving our referees the respect and protection that they deserve," said FA chief executive Mark Bullingham.

"We are also determined to address the rise in unacceptable behaviour from the stands."

More to follow.

• Our coverage of your Premier League club is bigger and better than ever before - follow your team and sign up for notifications in the BBC Sport app to make sure you never miss a moment